Fun at the ward dance

We had an adult dance last night that was really so great! The ward band rocked. We could pretend we were in the band by playing Rock band in the back AND as if that and great people and snacks weren't enough, there was a photo booth set up with a professional lighting kit and backdrop. The camera even had a remote!! Here are some of the results and a link for anyone who might want to see the rest of the ward who had fun with the camera.














Thanks for a great time activities committee!

Jedi Mind Tricks

Parker begged me to let him put some stickers on his sticker book the other night. It was bedtime so I told him he could choose three stickers to put on the page and then it was time for bed. After 2 stickers he was stalling quite a bit

Mom: Parker you have 5 seconds to choose the last sticker because the book is going up.

Parker: Patience Padawan.

Disney World!

"It's time to remember the Magic." We had a great time in Disney! The weather was Awesome, Parker turned 5, Grandma and Grandpa Winters and Natalie were with us, and the always fun Henderson's were there at the same time too! It was fun to get to hang out/run into them in the Parks. It was Natalie's first trip and it was a lot of fun to see her excitement as well! I think she may have set a record by getting 57 character autographs :)

Marriage is a lot like wrestling

Marriage and wrestling; two full contact sports that require a ring.

A bumper sticker that I saw recently :)

Are these chips or french fries?

What Greg brought back from the vending machine on his last shoot for me to try. I am a chip connoisseur you know. They were a little bit delicious and disgusting all at the same time. I didn't get the whole french fry effect they were going for because the ketchup taste was a little over powering.

Greg's co-worker on the shoot had a good point. "Who ever said, man these chips are good, but I sure wish they tasted like ketchup."

Does anyone remember that episode of The Office with Jim and Karen about the Herr's potato chips? I had never seen that brand in person before yesterday.

The week in pictures

Steaming cookies at that :)

Have you licked your snowman today?



Umm, what did you say the weight limit is on these things?


I'm done with this Dad.

Scurvy Pirate

If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way, take the highway, that's the best.

GQ Fireman

This is the life

Tonight we turned on the gas fireplace after the kids were out of the bath and came downstairs to have a snack before bedtime. Parker requested bread and butter and went and sat with Greg by the fire. Parker then lounged back and said happily "There is nothing better than this (pointing to the buttered bread) and that (pointing to the fireplace.)

Ahhhh...the content life of an almost 5 year old. :)

Zombie Zoo

After the evening bed time story:

Parker: Dad, all of my teachers at school are turning into Zombies

Greg: Parker, there is no such thing as a Zombie. Zombies aren't real.

Parker: What are Zombies? What do they look like?



The other day, catching Meadow in a mood:

Mom: I love you Meadow

Meadow: Don't say that Mom.

Mom: Why Not!? I do love you.

Meadow: Mom! Talk nice!

The Snowy Day

Everyone should try this at least once :)

This is my Dad's favorite thing ever next to Coca Cola Classic. I Love it too. I think you will if you like fruit and cream and tart and sweet all rolled together in one little bowl!

Raspberries
Evaporated Milk
2-3 T sugar or to taste

Mmmmm!

Silly Willies

"Mom, will you take a picture of General Grievous?"

"I'm a monster, raaaaaah!"

Where Parker's underwear landed when he thew them over the upstairs balcony. Thankfully there were not out of reach of the broom from the stairs and they did not catch on fire :)

Nothing like a good cousin!

Clone Troopers

"The planet Naboo."

2 1/2 going on 13

Today I caught a glimpse of the future when Meadow walked past me brushing her pig tails and chewing juicy fruit gum while she practiced saying the phrase "oh my gosh."

Assembling the Jib

The new "toy/filming necessity." The kids had a great time helping Greg assemble the new jib for the camera. They also had fun pretending to film after it was finished (Sans camera of course.) Greg tried to teach Parker to follow him with the jib by moving it side to side while he ran back and forth across the yard. I wonder what the neighbors were thinking :)

Yummy chewy chocolate cookie

1/2 c shortening
1 2/3 c sugar
2 T vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 c cocoa
2 1/4 c flour
2 T baking powder
1/3 c milk
1/2 tsp salt

Roll balls into powdered sugar and bake 10 min. at 350. Usually look not quite done in the center but take them out anyway because they firm up a bit.

New Years Eve/Day Traditions

Here's a poll for everyone: Did you have any fun New Year's Eve/Day traditions in your family growing up or currently and what are they? This is besides of course the traditional goal setting and starting of the new fitness regime :)

I do have one small one that I can share that I started sort of on accident when Parker was 2. We'll call them "Love letters to the Children." They don't have to be only once a year of course but I always do try to write one for each child at the end of each year (and more often during the year whenever the mood strikes) telling them how much we love them and what we are proud of them for. Also their accomplishments, character traits, their likes and dislikes, favorites things, and little quirks and stories. The goal is to have a little binder for each child when they go off to college, mission, married etc. Journal entries also work great for this of course! I remember when I was 16 or 17 my mom read to me from her journal things she had written about us when we were babies and it was so fun to hear and it helped me feel grounded and gave me a peek back into my childhood and helped me learn a bit more about myself. I also remember wanting to hear more, so that is the inspiration behind this little tradition. Thanks Mom! :)

Also If anything were ever to happen to me/us they would have a special record to look back on and remember that their parents were over the moon for them!

Christmas Miracle

My sister Amber had her sweet baby boy 4 weeks early on Christmas Day! Bryce Carson Vonbokern came into the world weighing 6lbs 10oz, a pretty big guy for being early. Mom is doing good. They have moved Bryce to big Wake to watch a little longer. He has been having a little difficulty coordinating breathing and eating and we pray that he gets to come home to his family very soon.


On Christmas Eve, My side of the family gets together and It is always a good time to watch the grandkids exchange gifts. Natalie had a long time friend visiting from NY that she met at a Turner's Syndrome Convention and has kept in touch with over the years and it was great to meet her. P.S. Natalie is amazing because her eyes blink faster than the flash travels almost every time. ;) :)






Greg and I took turns putting together Parker's prized Star Wars Lego ATST. It took us hours and I think I might need glasses now from staring so hard at the instructions. lol. He enjoyed it all day and then enjoyed crashing his bat mobile into it and smashing it to smithereens. We knew that would happen so it wasn't too devastating that all of our hard work was in a pile on the floor. Now he enjoys building ships from all of the pieces. We got a used piano from Greg's Aunt who no longer uses it and the kids have had a blast playing with it. We have to remind them to play softly and sometimes by the end of the day I have to imagine what nice songs might fill the house someday. Now that they are a little more used to it, it is not an all day thing. But it is still what Meadow runs for first thing in the morning. :)

Parker's burning Question for Santa. (written with help) Santa wrote a note back saying if he came while Parker was awake then he would want to stay and play with him and if he did that with all of the children, he wouldn't have time to deliver everyone's presents. P.S. You area a good boy and thanks for the cookies!

Doctors and Prayer

I recently had knee surgery at Duke. Dr. Dean Taylor was the doctor (I found out he also does all of the knee surgeries for Carolina Hurricanes Hockey) and he is just the best. I was really impressed when he came back into pre-op before the surgery and asked if he could say a word of prayer with Greg and I. I said we would love it. He said a humble prayer and asked for specific blessings for me and my surgery which made my eyes water. :) He also did this with my brother Shaun two years ago. What a great thing to have a doctor who recognizes the importance of prayer and the Lord's hand in everything!

Fla./Gulf of Mexico Pics

Here are the exciting pictures promised of the white sugar sands of the gulf of Mexico and Greg getting to feed alligators at a alligator reserve (you pop them on the nose and they open their mouths to catch a fish). He said it was a large adrenaline rush as you reached down to touch their noses. Eek! Also, afterwards the lady that worked there said sometimes the alligators snap at people....

Sharing time-out

Today Meadow threw a flashlight at Parker so she went to time-out. She was sad in time-out so Parker decided to go sit with her and put his arm around her.

I thought that was pretty sweet. :)